Fairground architecture

by BRAITHWAITE

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195 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 1976

Reviews

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been fascinated by fairgrounds since my first visit when I was very young. The lights, sounds, smells, and all the movement was entrancing. So this book drew me in. It describes the development of fairs from medieval markets to the ride-centred fairs of the 1970s, with a lot of detail on how steam power and then electricity influenced fairground machinery. There are copious photos, drawings and diagrams showing how the fair or tober is laid out, how the rides are built up and powered, and how the side shows fit in. This is a wonderful book for anyone interested in fairs or their history.
However, it is crying out for an update to include today's modern rides. The book I read was last updated in 1976, and there have been massive changes over the last nearly half century, so there is a lot of potential for a new version.

[Skelbon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although several years old, the smorgasbord of illsutrations and photographs are still fascinating to look at. An essential read for anyone with even a slight interest in fairground history, and one of my personal go-to coffee table books when I just want to sit down and let myself get caught up in the beautiful world of the 20th century travleling fair. If you can grab a good quality copy at a sensible price (mine is an ex-library copy that's in great shape and I got for just £20) then go for it.